Ayanna Thompson

Blackface from Ayanna Thompson is an important contribution to both the Object Lessons series and the (perpetually) ongoing discussion about disrespect, if not blatant racism, toward our fellow human beings.

Thompson offers an excellent historical account that avoids the common starting point, especially in the United States, of either pre-Civil War or Jim Crow era. This can help those who claim the Confederacy as their "heritage" to not feel they are being singled out. As evidenced by the list of relatively recent incidents (30 years or so) and the even more recent (largely failed) attempts at apology (past few years), those who believe(d) blackface was appropriate is not limited to those from the southern or rural US.

Ultimately, the hard part to understand is how someone can be okay with doing something that insults a group of people no matter the context. I am 62 and blackface is something I have never thought of as being okay, whether for a party or as part of a "tribute." So this is not about cancel culture or new sensitivities, this is about finally being called to account for racial insults and white (unwarranted) privilege.

Highly recommended for those genuinely curious about the rationale behind the offensiveness as well as those wanting informed explanations for when they are trying to help people understand.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (altro)